Scarecrows and Cherry Blossoms
by Kakashiz
Summary: When Kakashi rejoins ANBU, he never expected to end up being supervisor to a particular pink-haired charge. But can the love that blossoms between them be strong enough to withstand the pain of lies and desperation? KakaSaku. Rated T to be safe.
1. New Recruit

New Recruit

It was a sunny day in Konoha. In the ANBU camp, seniors and juniors alike were hurrying about their own jobs.

A team of five not-so-new newbie ANBU lined up at a checkpoint, awaiting their very late supervisor. He was supposed to be here half an hour ago.

A tall man with spiky silver hair and a mask over his face appeared in a puff of smoke. He was wearing the ANBU uniform and a black eye patch.

"Eh, sorry boys, got caught up in a roadside brawl," explained Kakashi. The newbie young men smirked at each other. Like team 7 had before them, they had learnt not to believe Kakashi Hatake's lame excuses.

"Okay," said the supervisor, clearing his throat. The cadets stood straight in attention. "You have been summoned here today," began Kakashi. "To….uh…." He glanced at the clipboard in his left hand. "To be informed of ..um.."

"Bah, forget it," muttered Kakashi. "I'll do this the easy way." The cadets snickered. Kakashi was nothing like the strict, formal mentors they used to have.

"Well, you have done well enough to pass as a satisfactory ANBU and so I announce you as no longer a newbie," said Kakashi. "You are now a….what was that again? A…non-newbie. Dismissed!"

The cadets dispersed, grinning at each other. Kakashi watched them leave, then made his way back to his apartment.

There was a message scroll left on his desk. Striding over, he picked it up and unfurled it. It read:

_Kakashi:_

_I understand that your latest team of cadets has been proclaimed ready. Congratulations. Due to a new intake recently, I will be giving you your next charge immediately. She will meet you at the gates tomorrow morning at 8 a.m._

She? Nonplussed, Kakashi read on.

_Here are her details._

Reading through the list, Kakashi skipped to the end.

_With thanks, Ibiki._

He stared at the two six-lettered words that formed his new charge's name.

No way.

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Sakura squealed with joy and waved her graduation papers in front of Naruto's nose. "I did it!" she exclaimed. "I actually passed the ANBU exam!"

"Congratulations," said Naruto sportingly. He was jealous of Sakura for achieving a higher rank than him, but would not admit it.

"It says here to wait at the gates tomorrow morning at eight for my supervisor," said Sakura doubtfully. "Supervisor?"

"Maybe they want to make sure you're really suitable," suggested Naruto. "In case you were just lucky."

"You're right," said Sakura. "Well, see ya!"

She waved goodbye to Naruto and went to Ino's home, unable to help showing off a little. Hah! She'd bested the Yamanaka for once.

She just couldn't help wondering who was going to be her supervisor.

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Two hours later, Kakashi was still reeling from shock. _Sakura Haruno_ was his new charge? It felt like just yesterday he was doing the bell test on the little preteens.

He sighed. Time passed so quickly. Of course, team 7 was already in their twenties. They were so big already. Which also meant he was getting old.

He ran his fingers through his hair. Technically, thirty-five wasn't exactly old, but he felt middle-aged compared to the youngsters around him.

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, he appraised his ANBU uniform. It was a long time since he last saw it. Over ten years ago.

A year ago, Ibiki had sent him a message, saying that they needed an experienced nin to be a supervisor to the newbie ANBU. Their requirements were the person in question had to be an elite ninja with teaching experience, and Kakashi had fit the needs perfectly.

Kakashi decided he didn't really fancy teaching, so he agreed to take up the post. ANBU, after all, was much more exciting than wandering about doing E-ranked missions with three brats.

But he still ended up teaching. Not much of an improvement.

He lay down and stared at the ceiling, wondering how Sakura would react when she knew she was going to be stuck with him for half a year.

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Sakura lounged on the great gates of Konoha, waiting for the supervisor to arrive. She ran through all the possible people in her mind.

Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was already 8.15. This person's lateness reminded her so much of her former sensei. She grinned to herself, wondering whether it was Kakashi who was her supervisor.

It was then that she caught sight of a man with silver hair in an ANBU suit, complete with arm guards, gloves and an eye patch coming towards her. Sakura's jaw dropped.

It _was_ Kakashi.

"W-what the hell?" she spluttered, seeing Kakashi for the first time in an ANBU suit. "I thought you quit!"

Kakashi's exposed eye crinkled in amusement, then narrowed slightly, also seeing Sakura in an ANBU uniform for the first time. She had grown, and also in places other than her height. She was a beautiful young woman now, and he, as a man, just couldn't help noticing.

"I rejoined," he replied, shrugging. "Well, I'm your supervisor now. Testing starts tomorrow in the forest clearing at seven thirty sharp."

Sakura snorted. "Yeah, right," she retorted. "I could wake up at nine and you wouldn't notice, tardy."

Kakashi smiled fondly at her under his mask. He was glad she was no longer the shy girl who always chased after Sasuke. Now she was an independent young woman, capable of taking care of herself.

He felt a pang of loss at those thoughts, but did not understand why. He pushed it away, and out of habit, he pulled out the worn copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

"You still read that?" asked Sakura incredulously. "Hello, you're like, in your thirties already."

"Oh." He stuffed the book back in his pocket. Sakura smirked. Kakashi had become quite a pushover recently. Maybe she could wheedle out what she had to do tomorrow.

"I wonder what is it we have to do tomorrow that we have to get up so early for," she mused aloud, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. He was rubbing the back of his hair uncertainly, and she grinned in satisfaction. "Surely sleep is more important than a test," she added.

"Ah, I want to test your weapon skills tomorrow," said Kakashi, relenting. "And uh, I can delay it until eight if you want."

_This is going better than I thought_, mused Sakura silently. _What was with Kakashi?_

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow." Kakashi strode off in the direction of his apartment, one hand stuck in his pocket and the other fingering his treasured book in his other pocket.

_Since when was I so nice? _Kakashi thought to himself. It wasn't like him to grant people's requests so easily. Was he developing a soft spot? For Sakura?

He shook his head to rid himself of the confusing thoughts. Well, he'll see tomorrow.

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A/N:

I know, the first chapter isn't much, but I am going to make this my masterpiece. Long story coming up. R & R please!

Naruto does not belong to me, and sadly neither does Kakashi.


	2. Training

Training

It was a cloudy day. The sun was hiding and there was a comfortable breeze – a perfect day for training.

Sakura wandered over to the 'training clearing', as she called it. Looking around the area, she saw three worn stumps of wood, training dummies and a figure with spiky hair.

Sakura blinked at the vision of Kakashi wearing an ANBU outfit and an eye patch. It just kept turning weirder and weirder. She could have sworn she was looking at the Kakashi of the past. Well, she'll just have to get used to it.

"You're early," she commented, sauntering over to his side. He was, Sakura saw, reading his dirty book and appeared not to have heard her.

"Ka-ka-shi," said Sakura loudly. He started, and hastily stuffed the book into his weapon pouch.

"Ah, Sakura. You're here. Early" Sakura tilted her head to the side. "You're the same," she said, looking at the sky. "Will it snow, I wonder?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head uncertainly. He certainly didn't want Sakura to know that he had made a point to be punctual for her.

"That doesn't matter," he said dismissively. "Now, about this test…"

Sakura listened attentively as Kakashi explained the rules. She was allowed to use any form of ninja items, but no jutsu or direct attacks.

But Kakashi had missed one point.

"What's my target?" asked Sakura, eyeing the trees and dummies dotting the area.

He caught her gaze and chuckled. "Not those, Sakura," he said, amusement in his voice. "You're too old for that."

"Then what?" she asked impatiently. Kakashi watched her silently as she put her hands on her waist, deliberately teasing her. She looked so pretty in that revealing ANBU suit.

"Me," he said simply. Sakura gaped.

"What, is it too hard for you?" he asked, a little crestfallen. He had expected her to jump at the chance. Evidently he was wrong.

"No, actually it's because…" she trailed off uncertainly.

"Because?" he pressed.

In reply, she flicked a kunai at a nearby tree. With a deep thud, it sank into the trunk up until the hilt.

"Because I don't really fancy killing my supervisor on my first test," she finished coolly.

Kakashi blinked. He forgot she was Tsunade's apprentice. A hit like that could kill him instantly.

Mantaining his composure, he fingered his headband. Slowly, he tugged it up, revealing a red eye.

"Then I guess I'll have to use this," he said calmly. "I believe in your skills to heal me should you injure me."

Sakura stared into his mismatched eyes, almost drowning in the faint, conflicting emotions that swirled beneath the surface. Kakashi was hiding something, but she didn't know what.

Kakashi nodded, and leapt into the branches. The test had begun. Pushing the lingering curiosity out of her mind, she focused on locating Hatake Kakashi.

Her mind racing ahead, she hooked up invisible wires between a few branches and set off towards Kakashi. Catching a glimpse of him disappearing behind a tree, she flung a kunai with an exploding tag towards him.

With an impressive boom, it exploded. Rapidly firing more kunai, she attempted to steer him towards her trap.

Kakashi saw the wire web easily. It was only too easy to avoid it. As Sakura sent a barrage of shuriken at him, he intentionally dodged the other way.

Thwip! Something wrapped around his leg and, caught by surprise, he toppled over. Before he had a chance to free himself, a kunai planted itself deeply in his left arm near the shoulder and he winced in pain.

Sakura landed beside him, disbelief clear in her face. She knelt down and started unwinding the wire around his leg.

"I don't believe you actually fell for that," said Sakura, turning to his injured arm.

Kakashi mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "caught by surprise" and Sakura smiled.

"Was it really an accident or did you underestimate me?" she asked as examined the wound, and for good measure, his arm. It was lean and muscular, and graced with the ANBU tattoo.

"This will hurt a bit." Gripping the handle, she tugged out the blade and immediately placed her hand over the wound. Kakashi gritted his teeth and shut his eyes.

"Have I told you you look years younger in the ANBU uniform?" she commented as she healed his arm. "You look like you're in your twenties." He felt flattered and immediately resolved to wear it more often.

"There. All done." Sakura dabbed at his arm with a damp cloth to clean up the bloodstains. He glanced at his arm and there was no sign to show he had sustained an injury. Inwardly he marveled at Sakura's ability.

"I guess I underestimated you," he mumbled, sitting up. "You pass."

Sakura grinned widely and helped him to his feet. Flexing his arm, Kakashi decided he was fit to continue and pulled out a little silver bell from his pocket.

"I want to do the bell test next," he said, dangling the bell in front of her nose. Her gaze fixed on the bell, she asked: "Rules?"

"Anything is -" he began, but abruptly the bell was snatched from his hand. He stared at Sakura, who was holding up the bell triumphantly. Surprise, surprise. She was a clever girl.

"I haven't said start yet," he said accusingly. "You never said it was necessary," she countered, stumping him.

"Okay, you pass," he said, a little sullenly. He won't go easy on her next time.

"Now you have to keep that bell out of my hands," said Kakashi, a glint in his eyes. This is going to fun. He had never fought a one-on-one battle with her before.

Sakura immediately darted into the canopy, Kakashi hot on her heels. She swung her leg at him and he promptly blocked her, at the same time tripping her with his feet.

As she fell to the ground, she performed a jutsu and sent a burst of flame towards him. Landing nimbly, she watched the silver-haired nin dodge the attack and leap towards her.

She focused her chakra into her fist and brought it onto the ground. Landing on an unsuitable bit of ground, Kakashi took off again, landing beside her and holding a kunai to her neck.

Sakura hooked her ankle behind his and pulled hard, sending them both toppling backwards, with her landing on his chest. A sudden jolt of shyness shot through her at their close contact.

A split second later, Kakashi had her on her back on the ground, his hands pinning hers to the ground beside her head. Breathing heavily, she gazed into his eyes, the onyx one and the red one with its black pattern spinning lazily in it.

"Bell please," said Kakashi, smiling to himself. This was fun, and to top it off, Sakura was right here, underneath his body. She felt warm and delicate.

"Get it yourself," she said, watching his expression. He paused, suddenly noticing she wasn't holding it. She sure knew how to take advantage of the fact that she was a female and he a gentleman.

"Well?" she teased.

He grinned devilishly and ran a finger over the neckline of her black ANBU shirt. She gasped. He wasn't really going to search her, was he?

He sighed and stood up, releasing her. Even with her apparent invitation, he couldn't do it. Which meant she passed the test. Again.

He sat down with his back to a tree as Sakura stood up and fished the bell out from within her shirt. Spinning it by its string, she flicked the bell at Kakashi, who caught it.

"You pass. Again," said Kakashi, disgruntled. Having lost three times in a row to his student gave him the feeling he was out of tune.

Sakura grinned, and looked at the canopy of leaves, sunlight shining through the leaves. "So what do we do later?" she asked, rubbing his ANBU tattoo playfully.

Kakashi frowned. She had passed the tests in one day when others would take three. He had run out of tests to give her for the time being.

"You can have the day off," he said. Happily, Sakura flung her arms around his neck and hugged him briefly. "Thanks," she said as she let go and trotted out of the forest, leaving Kakashi stunned.

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Sakura hummed to herself as she poured herself a glass of milk. It had been a great day, and she felt she had improved a lot.

A low rumble made her look out the window. Ominous thunder clouds were gathering and the wind was blowing the trees about.

A sudden knocking at her door made her jump. Hurrying to the door, she wondered who would visit her at night like this.

Yanking the door open, she came face-to-face with a bunch of silver hair. A windswept Kakashi, still in his uniform, was standing at the door, holding a bottle of wine.

They both stared at each other, Kakashi appraising how Sakura looked in her pajamas (a pink tank top and white shorts), Sakura wondering why the hell he was even here.

Another rumble of thunder shook her to her senses and she stood aside to let him in. He set the bottle on her table and turned to her.

"Congratulations on finishing the first term tests," he said, explaining everything. As Sakura went to a kitchen drawer and rummaged about for an opener, Kakashi shrugged off the white ANBU vest and removed his arm guards, dropping it on a chair, leaving only the sleeveless black shirt.

Sakura turned back to the table, opener in hand and froze. Without the vest, the black form-fitting shirt didn't leave much to the imagination. Kakashi was as fit as fit could be.

Controlling her expression (and her jaw), she set the bottle opener on the table and slid it over to him, hoping he didn't notice her apparent surprise. Which he did.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was chuckling to himself at her expense. What, she didn't expect him to keep fit? He prised off the top and poured some of its contents into the two wine glasses Sakura brought out.

They both sat down and sipped at the red wine in silence, Kakashi pulling down his mask at the side just enough to let it in. After a moment, Sakura spoke.

"That's all? I've finished the first term?" she asked, swirling the red liquid. Kakashi nodded. "I've had ANBU take three weeks to complete what you did," he said quietly. "This is the first time someone passed in a day."

He gestured to the bottle with his now empty glass. "So I thought we could have a celebration, what with you being my previous student and all."

Sakura refilled their glasses, and they continued to chat, keeping each other updated. Sakura was amused to know ANBU could sometimes be so childish, from Kakashi's descriptions.

Half an hour later, the wine had diminished considerably. The strong wind and heavy rain battered at the window, making a rattling sound, but the duo were too intoxicated to notice.

When the last drop was drained, Kakashi stood up to leave (forgetting his vest), and swayed a little. Gradually taking notice of the storm battering her house, Sakura grabbed his wrist.

"Why dontcha stay here tonigh' ?" she slurred. "Wet outsi'," She led him towards the sofa, and he sank onto it gratefully. Having forgotten to loosen her grip, she collapsed on top of him, pulled down by his weight.

But she didn't really care. In fact, it felt real comfortable.

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A/N:

Credit: Bell test picked from 'A Lesson in Chemistry' by leafygirl. I loved it. Thanks to you all for reviewing on the last chapter, but for the masterpiece part...eh, maybe scratch that.

Reviews please!


	3. A Mission

A Mission

Sakura woke up to a ray of sunlight streaming in her window and a killer headache. For a moment she wondered where she was, as her living room wasn't exactly what she woke up to see every morning.

A soft snore at her ear made her twist her head around. Coming face-to-face with silver hair and a black mask, she was abruptly reminded of last night's events.

She was drinking, she fell down…. That was about all she could remember. So why the hell was she lying on the sofa with Hatake Kakashi?

Gently, as not to wake him, she disentangled herself from his arms and stood up. He looked so serene and so vulnerable asleep. Inadvertently her eyes went to his mask. She touched it, wondering whether to pull it down, and drew back. He trusted her, should she betray his trust by revealing him without his consent?

Curiosity warred with doubt, and Sakura touched the rim of his mask several times in uncertainty. Making up her mind, her fingers slid into his mask, and she began to pull it down.

A sudden movement made her jerk her hand back in fright. Kakashi was yawning and stretching sleepily. Sakura laughed at herself inwardly for her guilt, and set about preparing breakfast.

"Where am I?" Blearily Kakasi sat up and took in his surroundings.

"You're in my home, on my sofa and if you don't get up in five minutes you don't get breakfast," replied Sakura tartly. Kakashi rubbed his head.

"I don't remember how I came to be sleeping on your sofa." He looked around uncertainly and stood up, stretching again. "I need a bath. Can I?" He nodded in the direction of her toilet.

Sakura blushed. "Of course," she said hurriedly. As Kakashi disappeared into the toilet, she wrestled with the conflicting emotions in her head.

_My, my, feeling a bit like a housewife, aren't we?_ Snickered Inner Sakura. _Preparing breakfast while your man has a wash._

_He's not my man_, Sakura thought hotly._ He's my teacher and supervisor, for heaven's sake._

_ You never know,_ murmured Inner Sakura. _Watch the eggs._

With a shocked exclamation she noticed the eggs start to sizzle. Sliding it out of the pan and onto a plate, she heard the toilet door opening and instinctively looked up.

"You have any spare clothes?" asked Kakashi. He was dressed in only a towel around his waist, one hand covering his nose and mouth and the other holding his black ANBU shirt and trousers. His lean torso was an impressive sight.

Averting her eyes, Sakura nodded. Going to her bedroom, she fished out a set of clothes that had once belonged to her father. Tossing them to Kakashi, she went back to preparing breakfast.

After Kakashi had went home, Shizune came to see Sakura. "The Hokage wants to assign you to a mission," she said simply before departing. Unfazed, she dressed herself and went to the Hokage tower.

Arriving outside Tsunade's office, she knocked. "Come in," said a voice from within. Sakura entered, and surprisingly, Kakashi was also there.

"A rich man in the Stone country requested for our best medic. His daughter is badly sick with a disease which I think is the yellow fever. I cannot leave, so as you are the next in rank, you have to go." Tsunade grimaced.

Sakura nodded. But that didn't explain why Kakashi was here too.

"And as you are still considered an ANBU newbie," continued Tsunade, "your supervisor shall accompany you there." She glanced at Kakashi, who was all accepting indifference.

"Here is the address of our client. You can depart immediately." She handed the duo a scroll. Sakura glanced at Kakashi, who shrugged.

Stowing the scroll in her bag, she departed with him. As he headed home, she went over to Naruto's and Ino's homes respectively to say her goodbyes.

An hour later, she met Kakashi at the gates and they began their journey. Starting from the first few hours, the silence between them grew from tolerable to downright unbearable. The silence was deafening.

"How did you get your Sharingan?" Sakura asked, trying to break the silence. Kakashi's shoulders tensed and she realized she had hit a nerve.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she said, hurriedly withdrawing her question. He glanced at her, his posture retuning to one of relaxed boredom. He couldn't blame her for not knowing his emotional scars.

"My… friend gave it to me," he said, revealing the tip of the iceberg. Immediately he shut up again, having already revealed all he felt comfortable with.

Sakura watched him with unveiled curiosity. The six words he said raised another two questions in her mind. Was his friend an Uchiha, and if so, why did he give away his precious family heirloom to a friend, of all things?

But she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to cause Kakashi more discomfort. Maybe she should ask him about other things.

"What do you think about Sasuke now that he has turned to Orochimaru?" she asked. His expression turned to one of great sadness.

"Sasuke was a promising student," he murmured. "If it wasn't for the darkness in his heart, he would have been one of Konoha's best. It was a terrible pity."

Sakura nodded. Sasuke must be so consumed with hate that his road led to nowhere but power. She shuddered to think that she once loved him.

"Sasuke reminded me so much about my younger self. Cool, cold and indifferent," Kakashi said. "The best in everything, yet haunted by a terrible past."

Sakura was thoroughly interested now, and she bit back her questions with effort. Kakashi, finding nothing else to say, lapsed back into silence.

Sakura felt she was going to go crazy with curiosity.

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A/N:

Sorry if this is a little short, I couldn't really find much to elaborate on. Review please!


	4. Understanding

Understanding

The setting sun cast two long shadows on the forest ground. The wind slithered through the leaves, making them whisper quietly.

Kakashi and Sakura walked side-by-side wordlessly, having nothing to say to each other. The journey to Stone proved to be an uneventful one. In one day, they had already covered half the distance there.

Soon, the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Night had fallen. Almost reading each other's thoughts, they both headed under a tree and took out their bedrolls.

"I'll take the first watch," said Sakura, sitting down on her bedroll and wrapping herself up in blankets. Kakashi nodded, and after removing his vest and arm guards, he lay down with his back to her.

There was no sound apart from the rustling of leaves and their quiet breathing. Soon, soft snores emanated from the sleeping figure.

Bored, Sakura shuffled over to sit in front of him. Asleep, Kakashi looked much less the experienced elite that he was. In her eyes, he looked young and serene.

How long she sat there, she did not know, but she was content just to sit there and watch the rise and fall of his body beneath the covers.

Then, Kakashi shifted, and his brows furrowed. He said something, and Sakura leaned forward to catch what he was saying.

"Obito ….. We must … finish mission….. No…. not important…." Interested, she leaned closer.

"Obito … watch out…. No….Obito!" His eyes flew open and he sat up, giving Sakura a shock. Regaining her composure, she watched him in concern as he blinked and rubbed his Sharingan.

Then, as if sensing her gaze, his eyes met hers. Flushing, he looked away. Sakura stared at her old sensei's back, trying to make sense of what he said. Clearly he had a nightmare, but who on earth was Obito?

"What's the matter, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing," he mumbled, unwilling to talk about it.

"You can tell me," she suggested, "Maybe if you let it out you would feel better." Curiosity was getting the better of her and she wanted to get her hands on this juicy bit of information.

Doubtfully Kakashi glanced at her. His history was the secret he guarded most carefully. It held shame and regret, things he did not want to remember and did not want people to know. Then as he looked into Sakura's eyes, he saw within the glittering emeralds a promise to keep his secret, and he wanted to tell her, wanted someone else to understand.

He could trust her.

"It was my past," he said quietly. "Obito was my best friend then."

He leaned backwards on his arms and looked into the dark sky.

"When I was young, people saw me as a genius. I became a genin when I was five, and achieved the chunin rank a year later. Many people were jealous of me." He smiled wryly, remembering.

"There was a Shinobi World War then. Death was everywhere. My father was assigned to complete a mission that would greatly assist Konoha in the war. Everything went well, until one of his comrades was captured by the enemy."

"It was then that he made a terrible mistake. He chose to go after his friend instead of completing the mission. His actions caused Konoha to suffer greatly. Ever since then, our people, even his friends, saw him as a traitor, a man who placed his friends above his country."

"I was ashamed. You see, I prided myself on being one of the top students around. My father, the White Fang of Konoha, had actually caused such scandal, and I was ashamed to be recognized as his son. Since then, I wore a mask to conceal my face."

"My father could not bear the pressure, and he committed suicide. And soon after that, I became a jounin. At that time, I was only as old as you kids were when you entered my care."

Sakura was gaping, and Kakashi smiled sadly. She did not know the pain he was in then.

"Not long after that, our team was assigned another mission. Halfway through it, our teammate Rin was kidnapped. Obito wanted to save her, but I immediately refused. I remembered the lesson I learnt so many years ago when my father went after his friend at the cost of the mission."

"Obito insisted that he wanted to save Rin, and he said he would go by himself if necessary. Before he left, he told me that he believed my father was a true hero."

"Then, he left. I continued by myself, confused. Were friends truly more important than missions? I made up my mind, and went after Obito with my greatest speed."

"I arrived just in time to shield him from the killing blow that would otherwise have taken his life. Afterwards, I lost my left eye to another wound, and bore a scar for the rest of my life." Kakashi fingered the silver scar that ran down his left eye.

"We battled with an enemy that was more powerful than we were. But our numbers gave us an advantage, and Obito had his newly-developed Sharingan, so we won. As we prepared to leave, the enemy caused the cave we were in to collapse. If it were not for Obito, I would have been crushed then. The blind spot on my left caused me to miss a large boulder coming my way."

Kakashi's eyes were shining with tears. "He pushed me aside, getting crushed instead. The boulder was too large and heavy to move, and even if we manaed to extract him, he would have died anyway. Before his death, he requested Rin to implant his Sharingan into my left eye socket to replace the one I lost, and also as a congratulation gift."

"So that was how you got your Sharingan," murmured Sakura quietly. The way he had received it was so sad. She could not imagine the sorrow he was in at that time.

"Ever since then, I felt that friends were always more important than missions. That experience changed my life. I was no longer the rule-abiding, indifferent ninja that I was then. Teamwork became my motto. Friends became my priority. But I never let anyone into my closest circle. It was too painful."

All the pieces of Kakashi's behavior fell into place. The bell test, the fight with Zabuza, his cold indifference. Sakura felt sorry for him.

Leaning over, she hugged him.

Kakashi froze, then relaxed, succumbing to the comfort she gave.

"Kakashi, I want to help you," she said into his neck, the black fabric rubbing against her nose.

She pulled back a little, and immediately he felt the cold invade the places where her warm body previously was. Watching her, memories of his daily life stirred in his mind.

Every day, he would see many couples, be it old or young, in a mission or not. They held hands, they chatted happily. What would it be like, he wondered, to have that? To know that every day when you wake up, someone would always be there by your side?

It was a wish he'd had for many years, a simple wish really. He wanted to share his life with someone the way he had seen so many people share theirs. He was very lonely. In his travels, he had seen countless wonders, faced moments of danger and triumph, but it all added up to nothing, because there was no one to tell it to, no one to listen to his hopes and fears and dreams.

As he watched the girl in his arms, he contemplated whether to let her in his life. He had already revealed to her what he never did to other people before. A part of him wanted to, but the other part warned him to be wary.

Before he could regain control over himself, he leaned forward and his masked lips brushed hers. After a moment of surprise, she kissed him back, and Kakashi tugged down his mask to let it continue.

Sakura could feel his heart beating quickly. But before she was fully satisfied, he pulled away. Her heart leapt at the sight of his attractive face.

"No…we can't do this." Even so, his hands held her tightly, as if reluctant to let her go.

"Why? We both feel -" Sakura looked into his eyes. They were wracked with uncertainty and guilt.

"Yes, but I'm thirteen-, no, fourteen years older than you. I would not be fair to you." The words turned horribly bitter in his mouth.

"I've seen women as young as eighteen pair up with men much older than you," said Sakura, smirking. His defenses were crumbling, and she knew he wanted to be with her too.

"I-I am your sensei," stuttered Kakashi, playing his last card. "Not any more," she replied, smiling. "You know you need me, Kakashi."

Her fingers traced his lips gently, and he slid his hand in her pink tresses, pulling her closer.

"Kakashi…"

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Among the leaves, two masked nins, one male, one female watched the duo with interest. The moonlight shone off their headbands, revealing the kanji for Stone. Then the female spoke.

"So, the legendary Copy Ninja has his weaknesses too," she whispered. The couple beneath them was too wrapped up in each other to notice.

"But still, he is a formidable opponent. Coupled with a partner, I'm sure he could defeat us," replied the man in equally soft tones. "We will have to separate them."

"Not only in body, but also in heart," added the woman, smiling wickedly. "I wonder who he will blame when his secrets are made known to everyone."

Their plan set, the two departed.

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A/N:

Sorry for the spoilers, couldn't help it. Reviews are very much wanted.


	5. Arriving at Stone

Sakura stifled a yawn. They had arrived at Stone near nightfall, and she was hungry. Not to say also very tired. Kakashi had noticed her expression and, with a chuckle, steered her to a shop to buy some bread and cheese, picking up some fruit on the way.

Kakashi rented a room at an inn and they both settled in, Sakura picking at the food impatiently. "Just a little longer, Sakura," he said. "Well, ladies first." He gestured at the bathroom.

"Thank you." She sauntered in and shut the door firmly. He found himself staring at it, his gaze following the contours of the wood.

With a sigh, he sat on the bed and fell back onto the worn but clean covers. Looking around, he considered the room he had rented. It was small and cozy, with a bathroom, fireplace and a wardrobe. Flipping over onto his front abruptly, he realized with a mixture of dismay and anticipation that the bed was a double bed.

With a soft groan he leaned his head into the softness of the cloth. Nearby, the sound of water pattering on the bathroom floor taunted his ears, and he found himself imagining Sakura inside before he could push away the dirty thought.

He smacked his forehead repeatedly. Damn, why did he have to get himself a weakness? He had no doubt that he would regret it in the future. The memory of her soft, delicate lips was hard to get rid of…

A little later, Sakura exited the bathroom, wearing a large white towel. The sight of her damp, mussed up hair reminded him of their previous night together. As he passed her to enter the bathroom, her shoulder brushed against his arm.

Tingles ran up Sakura's spine. Turning around, she saw the bathroom door closing as Kakashi went inside. Touching her shoulder absently, she remembered the night they had kissed. It was a night to remember.

As she got dressed, her mind was filled with images of Kakashi's face. Who would have thought he was so handsome? Her heart did a back flip as she remembered his perfect lips. Naruto was going to be very jealous.

Looking at the bed, she suddenly came to the same conclusion as he had minutes ago. Oh, dear. A double bed.

But soon, the scent of bread and cheese became too much to bear and Sakura rummaged about in the paper bag filled with food. When Kakashi finished his shower, he came out to find her chewing on a piece of bread. She was dressed in a loose white nightgown that looked attractive on her.

He flung his towel with surprising accuracy over the back of a chair and sat down beside her. After the last night, he felt that his relationship with Sakura had advanced to a whole new level, and he felt comfortable just wearing a pair of long drawstring pants. Paying no attention to Sakura's wide eyes, he plunged his hand into the bag and pulled out an orange.

Sakura was astonished as his openness with her. No shirt _and_ no mask. She must have won his trust some way. She watched his fingers as they fumbled with the orange, peeling the skin off. Then her eyes followed his fingers as he raised it to his mouth.

"What?" Kakashi had noticed her staring. With a blush, she lowered her eyes again, to be greeted by his muscular torso. She felt like yelling at herself. Why was every part of him so damn attractive?

"Oops." He accidentally dropped a slice of orange. Before it could even hit the floor, she had already snatched it out of the air. Lifting her eyes to his, she moved the slice towards his mouth. Kakashi reached up and grasped her wrist.

There was a long pause as their eyes remained locked together. Then, very slowly, he moved her hand back, guiding the fruit to her lips. Sakura hesitated, and then bit down on it. Droplets of juice landed on his fingers as the fragile skin of the orange burst.

She slipped the other half of the slice into her mouth. Kakashi released her and brought his fingers to his lips, sucking on them to get the rest of the juice. Sakura blushed at the intimacy of their actions.

Half an hour later, full and tired, she clambered into the bed, followed by Kakashi. They both lay down at the sides of the bed, with their backs to each other, trying to put as much distance from each other as possible.

xxxxxx

Kakashi opened his eyes sleepily, having been awoken by a ray of sunlight shining on his face. His eyes moved around as he took in his surroundings.

As his various senses reported for duty, he became aware that there was something warm and soft in his arms. Glancing down, he was horrified to see Sakura in his arms, with her back to him and his arm hooked around her waist, a mass of pink curls framing her face. The loose white nightgown she wore was hiked up, revealing most of her slender legs.

As he contemplated what to do, she murmured something incomprehensible and turned over, burying her face in the crook of his neck in the process. A warm feeling rose in his chest, and he pulled her slightly closer to him.

_What was this feeling?_ He wondered. It felt like tenderness and protectiveness rolled into one. Was this what it felt like to love someone?

He looked at her face, so delicate and beautiful. He ran a finger along her jaw, feeling the softness of her young skin.

Sakura's eyes opened hazily. The bright emeralds, dimmed by sleep, gazed up at him. She could practically feel his breath on her face. She blinked at him, and Kakashi felt his will melting. He leaned forward.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. One moment he was gazing at her, the next his lips were crushed to hers in a passionate kiss. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling. A few moments later, they broke apart, breathing heavily.

Kakashi took a deep breath to calm himself. He had just lost control for the second time in less than forty-eight hours. He knew he shouldn't, but damn, she kissed like an angel.

"We should get going," he said, looking away pointedly as Sakura got up and straightened her clothing. They took turns to change, and left the room.

They had breakfast at a small café, and started for their client's home, following the directions in the scroll Tsunade gave them. Soon, they arrived at a huge mansion that was very different from the simple houses in the village.

Kakashi pushed the exquisite doorbell. A soft tinkling sound came from inside, and the two shinobi waited patiently. Soon, the door opened to reveal a plump middle-aged maid.

"Yes, what is it?" she said, before catching sight of their garb. "You're the medics, eh?" she asked. The pair nodded.

"Show me the scroll," she demanded, suspicion in her eyes. Obediently, Sakura handed her the scroll. As she was reading it, a richly dressed man pushed her aside and beckoned frantically for them to come in.

"You're the medics from Konoha, yes? Hurry, my daughter is worsening." He hurried through the corridors and led them into a grand room. His daughter lay on a four-poster bed, mumbling incoherently.

Sakura dropped her backpack on the ground near the bed and scooted near the girl. The little seven-year-old was writhing in pain, and Sakura immediately recognized the symptoms for the more serious case of yellow fever.

She fished out a sedative from her bag and gave it to the girl. "Drink up," she said gently, helping her sit up. "It will relieve the pain." Te little girl obediently took the tiny bottle and drank the contents. Sakura helped her to lie down again, and placed her hands on the girl's stomach.

"What symptoms has she been showing?" she asked, still focused on the girl, green chakra glowing around her hands.

"She had headaches, loss of appetite and a high fever," the worried father replied. "Recently, she's been vomiting quite often, and I've found traces of blood in it."

Sakura nodded. "This is a more serious case of yellow fever. Her livers are also damaged by the disease."

"She'll live, right?" the father asked hopefully.

"I can't tell at this stage," she said solemnly. "Kakashi, get me the blue bottle from inside my bag, will you?"

Kakashi jumped at her call, then hurried towards her bag and rummaged in it. A few moments later, he held up a small light blue bottle.

"This is a painkiller," she said as Kakashi handed their client the bottle. "Give her one to two of this a day, it'll lessen the pain."

Finishing, Sakura sat back on the bed and breathed out. Standing up, she picked up her bag and headed for the door. Before leaving, she turned to the father.

"I'll be back tomorrow. She needs some rest before we continue," she said. He bowed to her gratefully. "Thank you. My name is Ashino Motsuki, by the way. You are?"

"Sakura Haruno." She shook his proffered hand and turned to leave.

"Please, do join us for breakfast tomorrow," Ashino offered. Sakura nodded curtly and strode out, followed by a rather humbled Kakashi. To see Sakura such a capable healer, he felt that she had bypassed him in many ways. She dealt with the matter so efficiently that his presence was not even required.

"Why don't we go to the lake?" he suggested. "I find it quite nice, and not many people visit it at this time of the day."

Catching the underlying suggestion in his innocent words, she grinned and nodded.

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A/N:

Lol to quarterdark on your review for chapter 4. I'll never look at a blender the same way again. And my apologies to misfitgirl92. That's the way it just has to be.

The action starts in the next chapter. Meanwhile, enjoy.


	6. Betrayal

Misunderstanding

"Bye!" Sakura waved to Kakashi before disappearing inside the great mansion. Now that the girl's condition had stabilized, she had to work to patch her up, which, according to Sakura, wouldn't take long.

Kakashi wandered off towards Stone's marketplace. As he was not skilled in the medical field, it would be a waste of his time just sitting around watching her as she worked. He might as well get to know the place better.

He stifled a yawn. Sakura should be done by either today or tomorrow. He was getting tired of roaming the streets day after day. Pausing at a food stall, he bought himself a dango and moved on.

Over the days, his relationship with Sakura had grown much closer. After opening up, her understanding made him feel better than he ever did in years. For once, he did not feel alone anymore, he felt like he had somewhere to go, someone to love.

He had a nagging feeling that opening his defenses like that spelled trouble, but firmly he pushed it away.

He trusted Sakura to keep his secret, to preserve his dignity. He did not want to end up like his dearest father, dead by his own hand, after succumbing to the pressure of shame.

A bookstore caught his eye. Striding over, he looked in through the glass at the various books displayed. As he was scanning the covers of the books, his ears caught a low voice, a voice that wasn't intended for him to hear.

"Hey, look at that guy over there." The voice of a young boy drifted over to Kakashi.

"Which one?" Another boy asked in equally soft tones.

"The one with silver hair."

"What about him?"

The first boy sniggered softly. "I heard that his dad was willing to sacrifice his country for a friend."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. How did they _know_?

"That's dumb."

"Yeah. You think it'll happen again?"

"Like father, like son."

"Hmph." The first boy snorted in disdain. There was a brief pause.

"How'd you know, anyway?" The second boy voiced his doubts.

"This lady told me."

Kakashi froze. _Lady?_

The only female who knew of his secret – apart from the older generation – was Sakura.

_No. It couldn't be. He trusted her. She wouldn't…_

"It'll be really easy if Stone wanted to conquer Leaf. With people like him around, it would be a piece of cake."

It was all his fault.

_How could you, Sakura? I trusted you…_

His hands tightening into fists, he stormed off towards the inn that was their lodging.

A dark-haired woman watched him with a satisfied smirk on her face.

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"We're leaving. Now." Kakashi packed his bags, and Sakura hurriedly shoved her stuff in her backpack. "Why do we have to leave so soon?" she asked, a little disappointed that she couldn't explore the place a bit more.

Kakashi did not answer.

Something was off. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It wasn't like Kakashi to leave so hastily. His expression was unusually stony, and she felt a shiver run up her spine.

**Two hours later**

He had not said a single word since their departure from Stone. She would have liked to stay a little longer, but Kakashi seemed to be in a hurry to go home.

Sakura felt uneasy. Something was troubling him.

"Kakashi," she called, touching his arm. "What's wrong?"

He glanced at her, and for a moment she felt terrified. Hatred and loathing filled his gaze. "You don't need to keep up your façade anymore," he hissed at her. His heart twisted. He loved her, trusted her, and yet she betrayed his trust. He was so stupid. "Like you don't know what's wrong."

"What?" Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. "What are you talking about?"

Kakashi spun around. "Did you have to blab about my past to everyone you see?" he snarled. "I should never have trusted you!"

"I never did anything of the sort!" she cried, hurt and confused. Why would Kakashi accuse her of such things? She would never, ever betray his secret.

"Don't lie to me," he spat at her, turning around and striding away. Sakura stood rooted to the spot, tears streaming down her face. _Kakashi…_

"Kakashi!" she cried, dashing towards him. He was already a good distance away. "Kakashi, wait-"

A great weight landed between her shoulder blades and, taken by surprise, she crashed to the ground, pinned. A pair of feet landed on the ground near her head.

It all happened too fast for her to do anything but scream.

"Kakashi-"

A cloth was pressed to her face, muffling her words. Recognizing the smell of the drug, she felt a moment of terror before passing out.

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A terrified scream from behind made Kakashi jerk around to look behind him. Recognizing Sakura's voice, he momentarily forgot his anger.

"Sakura!" he called frantically, hurriedly switching his direction. He saw two indistinct forms leap into the leaves, supporting a third person between them. The flash of pink was more than enough to confirm that it was Sakura being carried away.

"Sakura!" He ran after them, but the kidnappers had obviously thought ahead. There was a twang, and meters of wire coiled around him. In his haste, he had completely forgotten to check for traps. Losing his balance, he fell to his knees.

He strained to reach the kunai in his holster, and hacked at his bindings. A barrage of senbon flew at him, demanding otherwise. A lucky combination of ducks prevented him from having his head speared, but it was clear he wasn't going anywhere for the time being.

Two ninja landed on the ground before him. The Stone headband adorned their heads. A woman and a man looked down at him, the man carrying Sakura over his shoulder.

"You're more foolish than I thought, Kakashi Hatake," the woman sneered at him. "Since when did you jump to conclusions, anyway?"

"Let Sakura go!" he demanded.

"Tsk tsk. You're in no position to make demands." The man shook his head and readjusted Sakura on his shoulders. She was, Kakashi realized with dread, out cold.

"As much as I'd like to kill you now, I can't. This is not the time." The man touched his headband in a gesture of farewell. "I'll be seeing you."

The woman chuckled darkly, and the duo departed.

Kakashi's head dropped dejectedly. He _was_ stupid. He had blamed Sakura wrongly, and now she was in enemy hands. He hated himself. _StupidStupidSTUPID..._

He had to rescue her.

Straining, he lifted his hand to his mouth and bit into his thumb, drawing blood.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

In a puff of smoke, Pakkun appeared beside him. Eyeing his master's position, he raised an eyebrow.

"Needing help with that?" the dog asked.

"No, I need you to follow Sakura. Once you know where they're taking her, report back to me. I'll be going back to Leaf for backup."

Pakkun nodded. "Yes, sir!"

He dashed off, leaving Kakashi to slowly disentangle himself from the web of wires.

_Sakura, I'm sorry. I hope you'll forgive me._

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A/N:

A little short, but I think it should be fine. A million thank yous to those who reviewed.

Naruto does not belong to me.


	7. Desperate

**Desperate**

Shackles. The first thing Sakura felt when she regained consciousness were the heavy iron shackles binding her wrists and ankles.

She opened her eyes, and a dimly lit room came into view. Various documents and bottles littered a number of tables in the room. There was no window.

As Sakura turned her gaze on herself, she saw that she was bound to a slightly slanted vertical board with arms wide open, in the shape of a 'T'.

She eyed the shackles thoughtfully. It wouldn't be difficult to break them. Closing her eyes, she prepared to wrench her left hand free. But something was wrong.

She couldn't focus her chakra.

Every time she attempted to manipulate it, it slipped out of her grasp like water. She could feel it, but couldn't hold it. What was going on?

She grunted in frustration as she struggled against her bindings, now an insurmountable wall without the strength that came with chakra.

"I know what you're trying, sweetie. It won't work." A woman's voice came from somewhere in the room, and Sakura's head snapped up in surprise.

"You regained your senses fairly quickly, considering the dose we gave you. But it is to be expected of a great medic like you." The woman strode towards her, a curvaceous beauty with long, dark hair.

Sakura wrestled with her shackles.

"It's no use, dear. We injected you with a drug that blocks chakra pathways, similar to the effects of the Hyuuga clan's Gentle Fist." The older woman smiled, displaying a row of pearly teeth. "We can't have you breaking down the walls, can we now? After all, you are Tsunade's apprentice. Haruno Sakura, is it?"

"What do you want with me?" It was unsettling how the woman knew so much about her.

The woman laughed. "Oh, darling, it's not you we want. It's your silver-haired companion, the Copy-nin Hatake Kakashi."

"Why?" Her voice was laced with suspicion and spite. Her eyes narrowed.

"My, you're bright," she replied sarcastically. "He's not called the Copy-nin for nothing, sweetheart. I imagine he's put his Sharingan to a good use all these years."

Sakura stared at her, not completely comprehending her words. The woman rolled her eyes, and continued.

"As you very well know, he's copied over thousands of jutsu. Now won't it be just fantastic to have them all? We'll pick his memories for every last detail, every bit of his extensive knowledge."

Sakura's eyes widened in horror. The woman grinned, and patted the medic's head almost endearingly.

"We'll need him to be here, of course, and what better way to lure him than with bait?" She cocked her head to the side.

"He won't fall for it," she said desperately. _He won't, he won't…_

"Oh, I don't think so." She started to stride away. "It's been fun chatting with you, darling, but I have to go now. Ja."

She knew he would come. Then he would be a sitting duck for the woman and whoever she was partnering with. How did she even get into this situation anyway?

_Don't be rash, Kakashi. Don't._

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Kakashi slammed his fist on the table. "We have to rescue her!" he insisted. "She's your apprentice! How could you just let her be?"

Tsunade looked pained. "We can't, Kakashi. Don't you see? This is a trap. Why else did they leave you alive? They _want_ you to go to them. We'd be walking right into it."

"But-"

"Dismissed," Tsunade announced firmly.

Seething, Kakashi took his leave.

It was his fault she was captured. If he hadn't lost his temper, she wouldn't be in danger right now. If he had believed her, none of this would have happened. He had to save her. He had to.

Even if the Hokage said not to.

Pakkun had met him at the gates half an hour ago, and had reported that the two Stone nins had disappeared into what looked like an underground base. The spot was about halfway between Leaf and Stone, maybe a few hours' journey.

He went home to pack up some supplies. If Tsunade wouldn't give him help, then he would do it himself.

As he departed, the two forms of his students raced after him.

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"Kakashi-sensei's being a little over-protective, don't you think?" Sai voiced his thoughts as the pair leapt from branch to branch. They were keeping a safe distance from Kakashi, far enough not to be discovered but close enough to give assistance if necessary.

"Of course not!" Naruto bounded along beside him. "Teammates are teammates, and we definitely ought to protect them."

"But don't you think this is going a little too far? I mean, this is clearly a trap he's walking into-"

"That's why we're here," Naruto answered irritably. "We know enough from Kakashi-sensei's debriefing with Granny Tsunade to know that it's just two people we're up against. We outnumber them. Problem resolved. See?"

Sai sighed. Naruto was just as simple-minded as always. Maybe eavesdropping outside the Hokage's office wasn't such a good idea, but still, Sakura was their teammate and they really should save her.

It was just that Kakashi seemed to be overreacting a little.

"Kakashi-sensei's slowing down,"Naruto commented. "Could it be-"

"Whoa!" The two leapt aside to avoid a barrage of exploding kunai from the canopy. Before they even had time to recover, waves of senbon flew at them, forcing them to dash at full speed to avoid them.

"Hn. Traps," Sai murmured grimly. Traps designed not to kill, but to weaken. They knew their target would come to them. This meant that they weren't far from their destination.

Kakashi was seriously deep in the enemy's trap. Why was Kakashi so intent on rescuing Sakura? He would always have thought things over before deciding, not charge headlong into a battle without preparation like Naruto always did.

The pair edged around traps, and Naruto's sense of smell told them that Kakashi was also not making much progress. Surely the enemy knew that their lure was working. Would they ambush them?

_Kakashi-sensei, what's gotten into you?_

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A/N:

So sorry for the long update! There should be about three chapters left.

Naruto does not belong to me.


	8. Tears

_Drat those traps_, thought Kakashi as he edged around a particularly nasty trap consisting of several exploding tags, spikes and poison-tipped senbon. His destination was close, and yet he had to advance at snail's pace to avoid traps. Frustration and impatience gnawed at him.

After neutralizing a final trap, he came upon a small clearing in the forest. There was a small shrine-like building there with a set of stairs leading downward. It reminded him of Orochimaru's secret underground base, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Funny how the clearly-displayed stairs seemed to be inviting him in. Tsunade's warnings repeated themselves in his mind, and with a mental effort he pushed them away. He didn't come so far just to turn back.

Sakura's face came to mind, and he steeled himself to go on.

He crept down the stairs, Sharingan activated, peering intently before him as the passage grew darker. Not long afterwards, a large wooden door came into sight.

Inspecting it, Kakashi found that it was locked from inside. Double iron bolts. Apparently that meant no lock-picking.

Oh, well. He'll just have to kick it down.

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"My, my. Here comes your knight in shining armor." A feminine voice spoke near Sakura's ear.

Sakura, who had been dozing fitfully, jerked awake. "What?" Her body was weary from the drug they administered to her an hour or so ago. The doses could only last so long, so she had three injections a day to keep her chakra in check.

The woman gave her an impish smile that she decided she would hate for the rest of her life.

"He tripped some of our 'sensors'. If I'm not mistaken, which I rarely am, he's right outside the door," said a man, appearing from another room.

Another one of the woman's comrades. Damn him.

"Alone."

Then, as the man's words sank in, Sakura's eyes widened in terror. If Kakashi came in now, he would be faced with two ninja carrying a hostage. He would never win in his desire to protect her. Immediately, she opened her mouth to scream.

But it was already too late.

With a deafening bang, the door flew off its hinges and crashed to the ground. Natural light filtered in, along with the spiky-haired silhouette of Kakashi Hatake.

"Good to see you, Hatake. I was starting to think you'd never arrive," said the man, stepping forward and offering a hand.

Kakashi's eyes flickered to meet Sakura's before turning back to the matter at hand. Something was wrong. He could see Sakura's chakra flowing in her, but why didn't she use it to break free?

"What do you want with me?" he asked quietly, ignoring the man.

The woman laughed. "Why, you're a clever one, aren't you? Well, here's the deal. You give yourself over quietly, and your girlfriend goes free. If you don't, she dies." She moved closer to Sakura and held a kunai to her throat.

"What do you want with me?" he repeated, gaze steely.

"Just your memories, is all," answered the man casually. "Unfortunately, you'll have to die as well."

"Don't do it!" Sakura shrieked. "They'll use your copied jutsus to-"

"Shut up, you noisy little b*tch," the woman snarled, pressing the blade harder to her skin. She whimpered, and cast her pleading eyes on Kakashi.

His eyes hardened.

"So what's it going to be-"

With a soft sound of metal cutting through air, a kunai sank deep into the woman's wrist.

With a shriek of pain, the woman dropped the kunai she held. Kakashi's blade had gone clean through her right wrist, rendering it useless. Blood poured from the wound.

Using her left hand, the woman fumbled for another kunai, preparing to stab Sakura through the heart. Kakashi leapt towards her, and a furious battle of taijutsu ensued.

While Kakashi was occupied keeping the woman away from Sakura, the man performed a set of hand seals. The tiles of the floor cracked and shattered as a great earthen fist rose from beneath and slammed on the ground, nearly squashing Kakashi.

He did a quick back flip and performed a few hand seals of his own. Drawing a deep breath, he blew through his fingers, igniting a wave of fire. The duo hurriedly leapt out of the way, but not before sustaining numerous burns.

All the papers and chemicals in the room promptly burst into flame. Sakura let out a screech as the tables beside her caught fire.

Crap.

He let out a yell as the great fist smacked into him, sending him flying into the nearest wall. Slumping to the ground, he hurriedly staggered to his feet.

The woman came at him, a kunai in her left hand. As he fought her off, the man attacked him from behind, forcing him to concentrate to coordinate his attacks.

All the while Sakura had been watching helplessly as the board she was bound to started burning at the edges. Not too soon after, flames started licking at her limbs.

Distracted by Sakura's whimpers of pain, Kakashi sustained more and more cuts as his focus wavered. If he didn't hurry Sakura would be roasted alive. Deciding to save Sakura first, he flung his kunai at the shackle binding her right arm. In her opponent's momentary lapse of attention, the woman drove her kunai into Kakashi's stomach.

He gasped in pain, and the man kicked him over the head, sending him to the ground. Every attempt to regain footing was met by a vicious kick to his body.

Sakura, having managed to free her right arm, grabbed the kunai and hacked away at her other shackles. In no time, she was free. She took a step towards the exit and out of the scorching heat, and paused.

Kakashi was being tormented. Having staggered to his feet, she watched as the man punched him in the face, narrowly missing his nose. A kunai was embedded in his left shoulder, and two more were lodged in his torso.

Kakashi was paying the price for her freedom.

The silver-haired jounin looked up, and saw her watching him, pain and conflict in her eyes. She wanted to help him, but did not have the power to.

He could almost see her broken heart.

"Go, Sakura, go now," he croaked painfully. The woman slashed his face with a senbon, and he gritted his teeth as the man kicked his head again. The world darkened before his eyes, and Sakura's face faded away.

He was going to die, but he didn't care. As long as Sakura was safe he would be satisfied. She was his life, and as long as she lived, he would be a peaceful man.

_Sakura…I love you…_

"Kakashi!"

Her face materialized in his mind's eye. Her pink hair, her soft lips, her painfully beautiful features…

_Goodbye…_

Everything faded away into nothingness.

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The man dealt Kakashi a crushing blow, and Kakashi landed heavily next to the entrance. His face was bloody, his clothing torn and dirty.

He did not get up.

"Kakashi!" Sakura screamed, tears streaming down her face. Throwing caution to the wind, she ran towards him and sank to her knees beside him, touching his face and calling his name.

The now heavily-injured duo strode forward, malice gleaming in their eyes. Sakura stared at them straight in the eye. All her fear had vanished, all impulses to escape gone. What was left was only love and pain. If Kakashi were to die, then she would go with him. There was no longer any reason to live.

_Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all._ She loved him. She cared for him, and she would stay with him through life and death.

She closed her eyes and braced herself, her fingers tightening around his.

But the blow she expected did not come.

Opening her eyes, she gaped in surprise.

Naruto and Sai had joined the fray.

With a yell, the blonde ninja and his twenty clones fell upon the duo. Amidst the shrieks and yells, Sai hurried towards Sakura.

"Come on, get out of here. I'll carry Kakashi-sensei." He urged Sakura out, and hauled Kakashi out after her.

As he placed the jounin on the grass, Naruto's yells reached their ears.

"I gotta go." Sai leapt back into the flaming building.

Left alone with Kakashi, she touched his torn mask lovingly as tears pooled in her eyes. Why, why did he have to leave her? She felt so lost, so empty…

"Sakura…" he whispered brokenly.

"Kakashi!"

"I'm sorry, Sakura." His voice was so faint she could barely hear him. "I hope you'll forgive me…"

"Of course I forgive you!" she cried, tears dripping onto his face. "Kakashi, you shouldn't have…"

All her life, the Kakashi she knew had been strong, protective – always there to comfort her and keep her safe. She was scared, scared to see him in such a weak position. It felt like the nature of the world had been upset, and she didn't know what to do..

He coughed painfully, and a patch of red appeared on his mask. Frantically Sakura cradled his head and tried to elevate it without hurting him, trying to help him breathe.

She glanced back at the building. She doubted that the fight would be over soon. In her arms, Kakashi coughed again and worry grew in her heart.

If they didn't leave soon, Kakashi would never make it. His breathing was ragged, and the grass was already stained with his blood.

She refused to let him die in her arms.

Taking a deep breath, she took Kakashi's arm and draped it over her shoulders. She stood up, and, straining to support his weight, took a step.

Slowly, she made her way into the forest.

_I'll save you, Kakashi. If it's the last thing I do._

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A/N:

First time writing sad parts like this, so if it's not good enough, please give me pointers on how to improve. Enjoy!

Two chapters to go. R&R please!


	9. Tying the Knot

It was a quiet day at the Konoha hospital. The atmosphere was tranquil, sleepy even, activity at a minimum. Not many people were hospitalized, and of those that were, none were in critical condition.

The pair of receptionist nurses stationed at the foyer was reading magazines when the main doors of the hospital were pushed open roughly. Dragging footsteps and heavy breaths reached their ears.

Leaping to their feet, one hurried towards the sound to give assistance, while the other went for help.

Sakura, having accomplished her mission, felt the last of her strength drain away. Her eyes were a little unfocused, her knees trembled and she was smeared in blood from the silver haired nin on her back. Kakashi's feet dragged along the polished tiles as she staggered the last few steps forward. Fatigue quickly overwhelmed the surge of strength brought by adrenaline, and her chakra-disabled body began to shut down.

Exhausted to the limit, she fell forward, first onto her knees then onto her face. Her hair spread out around her head as the dead weight that was Kakashi pinned her down.

"Kakashi…help Kakashi…" she whispered as hands reached out for her.

Her vision dimmed, and the last thing she saw before passing out was the man she loved being moved onto a stretcher.

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Kakashi opened his eyes blearily. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was Sakura's face above his.

He blinked, and a spot below his eyes twinged in pain.

Wait, where was his mask? The cotton feel of his mask was replaced by the silken folds of linen.

As his alertness gradually increased, his gaze flitted all around him. Everything was white, and the first thing that came to his mind was 'hospital'. Funny how he had come to associate white with hospitals, green with Gai, and pink with Sakura…

There was a familiar chakra signature next to him. He rolled his eyes to the sight and saw pink. Sakura was sitting on a stool next to his bed, gazing off into space.

"Sakura…," he mumbled, the bed sheet covering his face muffling his words. His elbows slid closer to his torso as he tried to lever himself up into a sitting position. The sheet slipped off his face and pooled around his waist, but at the moment he didn't care.

"Kakashi! You okay?" Her hand grabbed his upper arm, assisting him as he struggled to sit up.

"Yeah. No. I don't know." He was dressed in nothing more than a pair of long pants and bandages. He prodded his side gingerly and winced. "Yeah, I guess."

Kakashi ruffled his hair absently. "What about you?"

Sakura poked his forehead, giving him a halfhearted smile. "Shut up. You're the one that was doing all the fighting."

"Felt more like getting pounded to me," he mumbled.

Her expression softened as she moved to sit beside him on the bed. "I was just a little tired, nothing a couple hours of sleep couldn't fix." She cupped his face gently. "It sucks having a chakra blocking drug injected into your bloodstream."

"How long have I been out?" he asked, a hand moving up to hold Sakura's hand in place on his cheek as she started to remove it.

"About two days." Her fingers moved a little under his, her thumb caressing the skin of his face.

"Kakashi…" she murmured, dropping her eyes and tracing figure eights on his chest. "Why did you come and save me alone even though you knew it was a trap?"

The fingers of his other hand wove into her hair, teasing the strands. "'Cause I wouldn't be a man if I didn't," he said softly. Leaning forward, he kissed her.

He pulled away, a bandaged hand brushing away a few strands of hair before returning to hook under her chin. Their breaths mingled, and Sakura could feel the warmth he radiated.

"I love you, Sakura."

He kissed her again, and what was at first a tender action turned hot and passionate as their tongues met each other in an intricate dance. Her other hand slid to the back of his neck, pulling him even closer so she could crush her lips hard to his.

"I love you too, Kakashi," she murmured, his lips firm and hot with passion. She grabbed his silver hair as she felt his hands roaming south.

They were in a hospital. But to hell with that.

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"Room 107. Here," Sai said softly to himself. "This room, Naruto. I wonder how Kakashi-sensei's doing." He beckoned to the blonde jinchuriiki beside him.

"He should be fine." Naruto trotted towards the door, and the two peered in through the small glass screen.

Their eyes twitched.

Sakura was sitting on a maskless Kakashi's lap, their lips locked together and their hands roaming places that were positively indecent.

"AAH! MY EYES! THEY BURN! MAKE IT STOP!" Naruto screamed, falling backwards and clawing at his eyes dramatically. Sai staggered back and leaned against the wall, panting and eyes wide as if he just saw an abominable monster.

"THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT IS COMING TO AN END! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES-"

An almighty whack across the back of his head made him shut up.

"What on earth are you yelling about?" A certain pink-haired kunoichi that he just caught in a certain act glared at him.

Both he and Sai swallowed. To them in the know, Sakura's face seemed a little flushed, but they pretended not to notice for the sake of their well-being. She could really pack a punch under the right circumstances.

"N-Nothing, Sakura-chan," answered Naruto nervously, rubbing his head gingerly.

She seemed to have second thoughts about his answer, but to the two boys' relief she decided to leave them be.

"That was close," muttered Sai.

Going into the hospital ward Sakura had just exited, they saw Kakashi sitting on the bed like nothing had happened.

_Blasted faker,_ thought Naruto, giving him a knowing look. _You just snogged a pink-haired kunoichi approximately seventy-four seconds ago._

"Hey boys," the Copy Nin greeted, his voice clearer than usual with the absence of his mask.

All of a sudden, Kakashi's maskless appearance registered in their minds and they gaped at him. No way. He was in his thirties, and yet his face had the sex appeal of some movie stars. *insert nosebleed here*

The silver haired ninja, catching their expressions, laughed heartily.

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**One week later**

"Kakashi, you have disobeyed a direct order. You have not only endangered your own life but the lives of the people in this village had the secrets of the Sharingan been revealed. Those people, according to you and your students' descriptions, were two ninjas who had defected from their village." The Hokage brandished the bingo book.

She glared at him sternly, and Kakashi ducked his head in shame. True, he had made it out alive, but it was close. "As rightful punishment, you shall be stripped of your rank and your status as a ninja."

In reply to that sentence, he raised his eyes and gazed at the Hokage evenly. He would accept that punishment without protest as a price for Sakura's well-being. The sannin's eyes softened.

"But you will be relieved of that punishment. As I have been told, this breaking of the rules was because of certain special circumstances." Her eyes twinkled. "I understand completely. You may leave now. Dismissed."

Kakashi shot her a look of pure gratitude as he excused himself. Tsunade smiled. Love, so simple and pure. She would have done the same for her beloved Dan. May he rest in peace.

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**Four months later**

"Kakashi, I'm back," Sakura called as she stepped into his apartment, slipping off her shoes. She heard the kettle whistling, and she moved to his kitchen.

Since two months ago, the two had become so attached to each other that they had taken turns staying over at each other's homes. As of now, they were staying at Kakashi's more often, Sakura having felt that his bachelor home needed more order and less dirt.

Kakashi was making tea and he offered her some. She leaned on the kitchen counter and sipped her drink quietly, looking around at the familiar interior of her boyfriend's residence.

"Did I tell you how much I like your cozy home?" she asked, glancing at him.

"Then stay." He smiled at her. "Move in with me."

Sakura's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "What? You mean…?"

"Yep." He got down on one knee, and pulled out a small, delicate ring. "Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?"

The pink-haired kunoichi stared at him for a moment before bending over and kissing him on the forehead.

"What do you think?" she asked playfully.

"I don't know?"

"Yes, silly. I'd definitely say yes."

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A/N: Official end of the story, but I'm going to throw in an epilogue. Bet you guys'll enjoy it.

I have a question. How do you post links on your profile? I'll need it for my upcoming ItaSaku fic – Dance with the Devil. Anyway, luv you all for reading and reviewing. :)


	10. Epilogue

A/N: Fluff fluffy fluff in this chapter - detailing what happened after Kakashi's proposal. The two had just recently celebrated their fourth anniversary.

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Footsteps echoed in the corridor of an ordinary, everyday apartment. The sound of soft humming spread a feeling of life in the otherwise silent surroundings, reverberating in the air.

Kakashi walked closer to the unit that was his home, jangling his keys. He had just come back from a two-day long mission, and he was waiting to see his family again.

A woman's voice along with a kid's high-pitched gurgles came to his ears, and he smiled. A memory of two years ago came to him. It was the proudest moment of his life.

_He paced around outside a hospital ward, impatient and worried and burning with curiosity. How was Sakura doing? She was a medic, so surely she would be fine...would she?_

_The door opened quietly behind him and he spun around instantly, reading the nurse's face for any sign of how things were going._

_She had a big smile on her face._

_"Congratulations. It's a boy." She deposited a small, warm bundle in his arms. "I'll be back in a moment. Don't drop him. He's a sweet, healthy little kid."_

_She re-entered the ward, leaving Kakashi standing in the middle of the corridor, holding a little baby swaddled in blankets. His baby._

_The baby was sleeping. The boy, Kakashi realized, had a tuft of silver-white hair, just like him. He could feel his heart melting._

_Then, the little life in his arms opened his eyes, and the new father felt another jolt of pride. The baby had beautiful emerald eyes, just like his mother. The child had both his parents' special traits, and that only made Kakashi love the new addition to his family even more._

_He never had a prouder moment, except, perhaps for a moment another two years ago…_

Kakashi grinned. Now _that _was a day to remember.

_He was standing on an altar in a very uncomfortable suit, his headband off but mask intact. As he tugged at his collar, two female voices came through the door to his sensitive ears._

_"Stop fussing, you look fine!" Ino's voice came to him. "Now get in there, he's waiting!"_

_The great doors swung open, and in strode his would-be wife. Sakura was wearing a white wedding dress with a sash around her waist, and she held a bouquet of roses that perfectly complimented her pink hair, done up with numerous pins for the occasion. She beamed at him, and in his opinion she looked radiant._

_She joined him at the altar, and the priest began to recite the wedding vows. Beside him, Gai looked on, smiling his silly smile. In all honesty, Kakashi would have rather much preferred Obito as his best man, but since the man in question was deceased, he thought having Gai be his best man was quite ironic, what with them being eternal rivals and whatnot._

_The drone of the priest barely registering in his mind, he turned to smile at Sakura._

_"-for as long as you both shall live?" the priest spoke._

_"I do," Kakashi answered, Sakura echoing him._

_"Then I now pronounce you man and wife."_

_Cheers and claps filled the air as he swept her into his arms and kissed her through his mask. No one cheered or clapped louder than the blonde sitting in the front row, who was whistling for all he was worth. Sakura flung the bouquet into the crowd in favor of Kakashi's neck and Ino pounced on it, clutching it gleefully. Shikamaru groaned. "Oh man. I am so not ready for a wedding."_

_The masked nin swept his wife into his arms and carried her bridal style out of the building._

_All in all, it was a great day._

Kakashi jammed the key into the lock, and yanked open the door of his apartment unit. Catching sight of his son on the floor, he dropped his bag and swept the two-year old toddler into his arms.

"How's my little Satoshi, eh? Daddy's home," he cooed at the kid, who gurgled happily and swatted his face.

"He was a total pain in the ass, if that's what you want to know," muttered Sakura, coming out of the kitchen and picking up the rucksack her husband dropped on the floor. "Glad you're back, sweetie."

Kakashi smiled fondly. Once, he didn't have anyone to call family, and now look at him. A husband and a proud father of a kid. He shifted Satoshi to one arm and gave Sakura a one-armed hug. "Great to see you again."

The pink haired kunoichi smiled. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Kiddo here said his first word."

"What?" Kakashi exclaimed. "What did he say?"

"Dad..dy," the toddler cooed, right on cue. His father stared at him. Pleased with the response he received, Satoshi did it again. "Dad..dy!" He tugged at Kakashi's mask, pulling it down.

"He said daddy," murmured the Copy-nin in amazement. The fact that he was a father hit him once again and he grabbed the kid under his arms and lifted him up, eyes shining. "Wow! I'm a dad!"

Sakura laughed at the funny scene, and just then, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." She went for the door while Kakashi replaced his mask.

"Kakashi-san! Sakura-chan!" came Naruto's voice. "Hey guys!"

"Hi Naruto! Hi Hinata!" Sakura greeted, stepping aside to let the newlywed couple in.

"Say hi to uncle," Kakashi said to the boy in his arms, giving Naruto the Big Evil Grin. "Hey!" protested the blonde, laughing. "I'm not that old yet!"

"Hey kiddo." He stepped closer to his old sensei and ruffled the kid's hair. "Wonder when I'll have some of my own." He glanced at Hinata, who blushed and tried to deflect the attention.

"I heard Ino-san got pregnant," she said quietly. Sakura squealed. "Really? Shikamaru must be as proud as day!"

"More likely he'll be groaning about how troublesome it'll be," chuckled Naruto.

The doorbell rang again. This time, it was Sai, who was sadly still single. But to him, being part of a family as such was quite enough for the time being.

"Why don't we go have ramen for lunch? My treat," offered the jinchuriiki. Hinata beamed at him. This was one of the traits she loved so much about him – his big-heartedness and his generosity.

"Okay," chorused the bunch of people, and began to file out of the rather cramped apartment unit. Sakura was chatting with Hinata about her next mission, and the two men with families were ribbing Sai about being single. Laughter echoed, and friendly companionship filled the air.

All in all, it was a great family.

_**Fin**_

A/N: Well, this is the end. Stay tuned for my next fic! Ps please answer my question : how do you post links? Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this. Luv you all for staying with me. :)


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